Portable elevator



Sept., 6, 1927. 1,641,891

E. JOHNSON PORTABLE ELVATOR INVENTOR ATTORNEY sept 6 1927" E. JOHNSON PORTABLE ELEVATR Filed Nov, 2, 1925 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

ERIC JoHNsoN, yor SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

roRTAiLE ,nLEvAToIt Apiiication sied November 2,`1a25. 'serial No. 66,246.

Y This 'invention relates to a portable elevator'which is adapted more particularly,but

not exclusively, for use as a lumber stacker,

and is in the nature of improvements to the elevator illustrated and described in U. S. latent No. 1,053,391, issued.y February 18, v1913, to H. C. Hilke.

`rlheobje'ct of my improvements-is the provisionvin'an elevator having vertically kmovable chain conveyors, of devices vfor automatically controlling-the .delivery of material from the conveyor fiights at various heights at either side of the elevator selectively. Y

The yinvention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings.-

Figure 1 is a front elevation; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an elevator embodying my improved devices. Fig. 3 is a view partly in front elevation and .partly in vertical section of parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to an enlarged scale." Fig. 4 is a vhorizontal sectional view taken onk line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and illustratingin plan the `carrier inthe position in whichv it is representedby dotted lines in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 yisA a vertical section taken'substantially online 5--5 `of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view-on line 6-6 of Fig. 3. y

' In the draw1ngs,the referencenumeral 5. represents, generally, the elevator frame Vwhich is supported by a wheeled car 6.

The frame 5 is vformed of two substantiallyA-shaped members, one at each endof the car, composed of postsV 7 andS which are inclined toward each other as shown in Fig. 1. The lower 'ends ofsaid posts are rigidly secured to the car 6, the upper ends of the posts of each frame-member are rigidly 'connected together by means of couplings 9. f

The Vframe 5 also 4includes suitable braces, such as 10 Fig.2, for rigidly connecting the side members in 'parallel relation with each other. 1 v' rlhe-posts Tand 8'of the frame are formed,

desirably, of channell bars to yafford ways, such as 11 in Fig. 2, in whichl operate endless conveyor chains 12,'onefor each of the frame members. At thev top of the frame, 'said vchains `pass over sprocket wheels l13 whichare mounted upon a transverse shaft 14e-which Vis journ'aljed in bearings provided in the respective frame couplings 9.. The

lower portions of said chains passV about guide pulleys V15.

. For driving the conveyor chains,the shaft' 14 is driven as by means of-an endless chain 16 passmg about a sprocket wheel 17 on said shaft and about a sprocket wheel 18 rprovided on a second shaft 19 whichlatter is driven through-fthe medium of atrain of gears 20 from a-motor 21 provided `on the car. Attachedto the respect-ive conveyor chains 12 in spaced ,apartY relation are pluralities of iiights 22, each such ightbeing formedrwith companion arms 23 and 24 con-y verging toward their outer ends to furnish a dove-tail cavity 25 therebetween. l

The operation ofv the elevator for elevating, Yby means of the conveyornchains, lumber to be piled upon; the stack S Fig. 1 is as' follows: Pieces of lumber, as L for example, areplaced upon the arms23 in the cavities of the respect-ive flights 22 as the latter as cend at one side of the frame in the direction denoted by the arrow in Fig. 1. When the flights pass, as at 221,. successively over the top `of tlie'frame, the lumbenas indicated by L1, is transferred from the respective arms 23 to the arms 24 and is thereby supported as the flights descend at the other side of the frame. According to the lpresent invention I provide devices for automatically delivering the lumber from the iiights upon bracket arms located within convenient reach of'men standing upon a stack of lumber as represented, for eXample,'by dotted lines S in Fig-1.

For which purpose I provide at each end of the elevator a hanger 26 which is provided near its upper and lower ends, respectively, with recesses such as 27 (Figs. 4 and 6) to receive a vertically disposed track rail 23 which is rigid with the Velevator frame.

' The upper end of each hanger 26 is con` nected as by means of an `eye-bolt v29 to an end 30 of a hoisting cable 31 whichpasses over a pulley 32 provided at the top `of the' frame, thence the vcable extends downwardly and isV coiled about a winding `drum 33, one for each cable, provided upon the car Y6. The drums 33 Vare rotatable in unison by suitable means, asshown there is employed a manually operated crank shaft 34 carrying worms 35 which takewith worm wheels 36 provided on the arbors of `therespective drums.

Inj proximity of its upper end, each of said hangers is formed `or providedv with lil Ll O

Cil

spaced apart bearings 3T (Fig. 5) :tor a bolt or pin S which extends throiurh aligned apertures in adjacent ends ot associated bar elements 39 oit a carrier fit).

As illustrated, the bar elements oi? a carrier are disposed in parallel relation with each other and in which are journaled the axles il ot a series ot anti-friction rollers l2 oit greater diameters than the Widths o'll the bar elements 3S).

ln proximity oit' its lovver end each ot said hangers is provided ivith a relatively vvide portion i3 from which protrude al plurality of headed studs il, t4- 1 and eli-li arranged substantially as represented in Fig. tlf-that is to say, With the stud ll, located at or about the midwidth oit the respective hanger part eil and the other studs, stell and Llata, located at opposite sides thereol at two elevations. Said studs are selectively eiigageable in either ol a pair et keyhole-shaped apertures elo, i5- provided in spaced apart relations in the ends or' a bracket bar .l. Such keyhole apertures being each in the nature oi" av slot disposed longitudinally oi' the bar iti, one end oi.x cach aperture being enlarged to receive the head et' a selected one ot said studs, the other end oi the aperture being` of a Width to aiiord a sliding lit with the shank ot' the respective stud.

A bracket bar iG is also provided at about its midlength with a hole to receive a bolt if? whereby the carrier l0 is connected therevvith when it is desired to support the bracket bar in substantially the horizontal position in which it is represented by full lines in Figs. l and 3.

For unloading the llights to supply lumber to the stack S, the carriers l0 and bracket bars i6 at both ends of the elevator frame are arranged to occupy the relative positions in which they are represented by iiull lines in Figs. l and 3; and the conveyor chains are driven in the direction indicated by the arroiv in Fig. l. The lumber loaded into the respective tlights, as hereinbel'fore described, is carried over the top of the 'frame descend ing at that side o'll the latter next to the stack il board thus descending when it encounters the inclined carriers i0 has imparted thereto a. horizontal movement to eject the board Ltrom the cavities of the associated flights. A board thus ejected by the carriers is delivered upon the carrier rollers i2 and thence by gravitation onto the associated bars 4G, trom which the successively deposited boards are rei'noved by Workmen for building up the stack.

Then the stack as S1 (Fig. l) at the opposite side oi the elevator is to be supplied with lumber, said carriers and brackets are disposed at suitable heights in the relative positions in Which they are represented by dotted lines 402 and it 2 in Fig. l; and the Leanser conveyor chains are driven in the direction opposite that indicated by the arrow in the view.

For removing lumber 'from a stack, the carriers are disposed horizontally as denoted by dotted lines d0 in Fig. 'l and LlO* in Fig. il, in which arrangement the bracket bars are einliloyed in the relative positions wherein they are indicated by dotted lines 4G and ,ltrl, respectively, to serve as bracket supports. lVhen thus arranged the Workmen iii-st place the lumber upon the carriers and, while pairs olf ascending tlights are passing the plane or the carriers, the boards are shoved manually into the respective tlight cavities Q5.

ln taking down lumber lfrom the top of a stack it is to be noted that the lumber is load ed into ascending flights at the elevators side next to the stack and lowered with the descending Vtlights at the opposite side ol the elevator.

The `:arriers et() and bracket bars i6 are raised or lowered into and 'from suitable heights by means ot the hoisting cables 3l, one near each end ot the traine, which cables are actuated in unison by ope 'ating the drains Sil through the instrumentality of shaft il and Worin gearing Btw-3G. The worin gearing in the dru1noperating mechanism serving to lock the drums against accidental rotation.

il hanger, carrier and bar assembly is adapted and arranged to be regulated to use tor loading and ruiloading at diil'erent sides of the elevator selectively; and, furthermore, is adapted to have the carrier and bar members disposed in positions Whereat they protrude from neither side of the iframe.

The provision of means for effecting the changes above rel'erred to in the relative positions of the nieinbers` of the referred to assen'ibly constitute an important part of the present invention, enabling the elevator to be moved bodily in a narrow passageway bet-Ween tivo stacks as S and S1 in Fig. l for example, and permitting the handling of lumber to and from stacks at both sides of the passageway.

The manner ot regulating the carrier and bar members will be understood by reference to Fig. 3: Assuming a carrier 40 is attached to the associated bar i6 at its midlcngth by means ot the bolt 4l?, said bar le is sivingable with the carrier about the pivot connection 88, 'troni the full line posi tions of the respective parts in Figs. l and 8 into their dot-ted line positions 462 and fl-O3 in Fig. l-that is to say, from one side to the other side of the frame. The carrier and b 'aclret bar members of each assembly thereof are secured in selected relative positions by having the proper one of the studs dell or lll:2 engaged in one ol. the slots 45 lun ' 404 and 464, respectively,

Vfor example, engage in a slot at the opposite end of the bar. From the foregoing it is apparent t'hat the bar yand carrier are adapted to be swung from one side to the other of the frame and to be secured in pre* arranged relations with each other as above explained. l

When it is desired to have the carrier .and the bar disposed in inoperative posil by dotted lines all that is necessary to do is to disengage the bar from the hanger permitting the same to depend from the carrier which latter is supported by the bolt 38. Y

While I have'illustrated and described the now preferable embodiment of the invention I do not Wish' to be understood as confining myself specifically thereto except as limited by the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim, is,* f

1. The combination With an elevator frame, a conveyorv chain operating` vertically in said frame, and load carrying flights attached to said chain, of a hanger connected for vertical movement on the elevator frame, means to regulate the height of said hanger, al carrier pivotally connected at one of its ends to said hanger, and a bracket bar pivtions as indicated in Fig.

Votally connected to the hanger and to the carrier said bar being adapted to be -arranged for supporting the latter interchangeably in a load holding position and in position to eject loads from the conveyor flights when the latter are in motion.

2. The combination With an elevator frame, a conveyor chain operating vertically in said frame, and load carrying flights attached to said chain, of a hanger connected for vertical movement to the elevator frame, means to regulate the height of said hanger, a carrier pivotally connected at one of its ends to said hanger, a bracket bar connected by either of its ends selectively to said hanger,

and means for regulating the connection of the bracket bar to the carrier for supporting at every elevation of the hanger thelatter v interchangeably in a load holdingV position and in position to eject loads from the conveyor flights when the latter are in motion.

3. In an elevator, the combination with a frame, and conveyor chains provided With load carrying flights operating vertically at each end of the frame, of a hanger guided for vertical movement at each end of the frame, means to secure said hangers at selected heights, a carrier pivotally connected from one kof its ends to each of the hangers for movement from one side to the otherof the frame in a substantially vertical plane,

and means for supporting-the carriers in horizontal and inclined positions selectively at either side of the frame.

4. In an elevator, they combination vvith a frame, and conveyor chains provided With load carrying flights operating vertically at each end of the frame, of a hanger guided for vertical movement at each end of the frame, means to secure said hangers at selected heights, a carrier pivotally connected from one of its ends to each of the hangers for movement from one side to the other of the -frame in a substantially vertical plane, and means detachably connected to' said hangers for supporting the carriers in horizontal and inclined positions selectively at either side of the frame.

5. In an elevator, in combination, a conveyor-chain, load-carrying ights provided on the chain, an elevator frame guiding the chain in a substantially vertical plane, a hanger adjustably movable vertically of said frame, a carrier having one end thereof pivotally connected to the upper portion of the hanger, a bar having an end thereof pivotally connected to the lovver portion of the hanger, and means to connect said bar intermediate its length to the free end of said carrier to support the latter in loaddislodging positions With respect to the liights, said bar also serving as a bracket to receive the loads dislodged by the carrier from the conveyor flights.

Y Signed at Seattle, Vashington, this 15th day of October, 1925.

ERIC JOHNSON. 

